Downdrafts force glider on to road

A glider pilot was shaken but unhurt after an unscheduled landing in Tauranga yesterday afternoon.

Strong downdrafts meant he was unable to reach Tauranga Airport about 3km away, so the experienced pilot, on holiday from Auckland, set his sights on Fergusson Park in the seaside suburb of Matua.

But the glider went out of control 50m short of the park, hit a street light on Beach Rd, spun round and landed heavily on the roadway.

"Miraculously, the only damage to the pilot was his pride," said Sergeant Darryl Brazier, of Tauranga.

The lamp-post probably broke his fall and threw the glider into the middle of the road, said Mr Brazier.

No one on the ground was in danger.

Tauranga Gliding Club safety officer Brian Chesterman said it was quite breezy and the visitor, who had flown in Tauranga before, became caught in very heavy sinking air.

His decision to try to land in the park was "the correct thing to do but unfortunately it took him down short".

The fibreglass glider suffered moderate damage to one wing and the nose.

It was dismantled and taken by trailer to the gliding club.

Mr Chesterman, who had been flying a much higher-performing glider at the same time, said he also felt the downdrafts in patches.

He said the pilot, whose name has not been released, might also have been "a bit indecisive" because there were people in the park below.